Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Old Chinese Maps Show Dokdo Belonged to Korea

Two old Chinese maps have been discovered showing that the Dokdo islets
belonged to Korea, further undermining Japan's flimsy colonial claim to the
rocks.

The two maps were made in the 19th century during the Qing Dynasty
and were unveiled by Lee Myeong-hee of Kyunghee University's Humanitas College
at a seminar on Sept. 6.

One is an eight-piece folding-screen map of the
world from 1845 and depicts Ulleung Island and Dokdo in close proximity to the
Korean Peninsula, clearly showing that they belonged to the Chosun Kingdom.

The other map, created in 1851, depicts Ulleung Island and Dokdo in the
same way.

A Chinese map made in 1845 depicts Ulleung Island and Dokdo (in red circle) as
belonging to the Chosun Kingdom. /Courtesy of Lee Myeong-hee

Lee Sang-tae, another researcher who also presented his findings at the
seminar, said, "Study of maps produced by Japan's Shimane Prefecture," which
claims ownership of Dokdo, "shows that Dokdo was not identified as part of the
prefecture for around a dozen years just before and after it illegally laid
claim to Dokdo in 1905."

Japanese maps dating back to 1895 and 1899 and
even those from 1908 and 1912 show Dokdo excluded from Japanese territory.

Maps from 1948 following Japan's surrender in World War II and from 1963
also do not include Dokdo in Japanese territory, according to Lee. The expert
said this was because Japan "lacked any confidence" in claiming the islets.
Source: The Chosun Ilbo